Gryffindor
by Lady Wood36
Summary: James and Albus Potter return to Hogwarts. Lily, like her brother, hopes that she will be in Gryffindor. So what happens when she falls for a Slytherin? Please review!


Chapter One

The letter

It was the sixth time that week that singing had broken out in a little house in Godric's Hollow. Albus and James Potter were hopping about the kitchen, narrowly missing the hot frying pan that Mrs. Potter held in her hand, singing, "Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts."

"Boys!" Ginny Potter held the frying pan above their heads with one hand, pulling her red hair behind her ear with the other. "Honestly! You could severely burn yourselves. You know you can't always rely on magic to fix your problems."

"Sorry, mum," they chorused before breaking into song again, skipping out of the kitchen and through the house.

Ginny set the bacon on their plates and sat down. "I wish you hadn't taught them that song, Harry," she complained to her husband.

Harry Potter grinned apologetically at her from across the table. "I never actually taught them that song. I only brought it up at dinner when your brother and his family were here, and he taught them the whole thing and now he's got them singing it. Besides," he reminded her, "I only sang it in my first year."

"Old George," Ginny sighed. "What are we going to do with him?" But despite her words, she was grinning.

At that moment, Lily Potter came slouching down the stairs, looking close to tears. She slumped into a chair at the table, not touching her food. Ginny and Harry shot knowing looks at each other.

"Mum, make them stop singing," Lily whimpered.

"Lily," said Ginny quietly. "You'll make it into Hogwarts. Don't worry."

Lily had been worrying since the starting of the school year began to come into view. "Neville Longbottom didn't show powers until his family had started to think he was a squib," Harry put it.

"Now look at him. He's a Hogwarts professor." Ginny put her arm around Lily.

"Do you remember a few weeks ago when your brothers wouldn't let you play Quidditch?" Harry asked her.

"You mean _James_ wouldn't let me play," Lily muttered darkly.

"James almost fell off his broom after he told you to go away," Harry concluded.

Lily looked into her father's eyes, brown into green, and when she smiled, it was full of hope. "Do you reckon I did it? Do you think that was magic?"

Both Harry and Ginny nodded. Ginny smiled. "It's not often he falls off his broom."

Lily looked much happier. "Why don't you check the mailbox?" Ginny suggested.

Cramming a piece of bacon into her mouth, Lily dashed out of the room just as Albus came in again.

"Where's Lily?" he wanted to know.

"Fetching the mail," Harry said mysteriously, and before either of them could say another word, Lily entered the room looking excited.

"I made it! I got in! I'm officially a witch!" she squealed, brandishing her letter. Harry managed to grab the other two envelopes out of her hand as she danced by. "Albus! I'm going to Hogwarts!"

Harry gave Albus his letter. "James Sirius Potter! Your letter has arrived!" he called through the house.

James appeared and rifled through the letter his father handed him. "When does my year become prefects?" he wanted to know.

"If you end up becoming one, next year," Harry said, "although you seem to be taking too many excursions at night. I might have to give the cloak to Albus."

James opened his mouth to complain when Lily interrupted. "Can we go to Diagon Alley today?" she pleaded.

Harry looked at Ginny. "I don't see why not," Ginny responded, grinning.

Although Lily had been to Diagon Alley before, she'd never been as excited as she was now. She hopped about the kitchen as though she was on fire the whole time Ginny and Harry were polishing the family broom, a Galaxy 77.

The five of them walked out onto the front lawn. Harry and Ginny put disillousionment on their children and themselves, and then mounted the extraordinarily large broom.

"I want to be at the front!" James called.

"No! I'm already at the front, there's no point changing," Albus exclaimed.

Harry, desperate to avoid one of his sons' pointless arguments, said, "I'll go in the back, Mum will go at the front. Happy?"

Nonethelesss, the two of them muttered the whole way there.

Lily was too excited to be bothered by all the wizards and witches in the Leaky Cauldron watching and pointing at her family and, in particular, her father. The Potters had managed to land in London near the Leaky Cauldron without being in the sight of Muggles. Now it seemed they would never get to Diagon Alley.

The five of them left Tom and the others hanging, hoping no one would follow them to the courtyard, then to Diagon Alley. No one did.

Diagon Alley was as busy as ever. James wanted to go to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes-"We always get a discount because we're family!"- but his parents forced him first to come with them to buy school supplies.

"I wish we could've met Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermoine and Hugo and Rose," Lily admitted as they left Flourish and Blotts each holding a cauldron full of books. Ginny was still trying to shove all the robes in a bag. Finally she set a shrinking charm on them, just before James asked, "_Now_ can we go to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

"I guess," Harry said, watching the joy on his children's faces as they ran off in the direction of the joke shop. Ginny grabbed his hand and they ran after them.


End file.
